Business circles in Okinawa are growing exceedingly worried about the apparent inability of the Okinawa governor and the central government in Tokyo to see each other eye-to-eye amid the continuing deadlock regarding the construction of the replacement facility for MCAS Futenma in Henoko.

With the August deadline for budget requests for the fiscal 2016 that starts in April to the central government coming close, the businesses and some local assembly members are worried that the fight would adversely impact the budget negotiations that normally would be routine.

Okinawa Governor Takashi Onaga had a dinner with the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on July 4, and although they avoided talking about the Henoko issue and instead discussed about the disparaging remarks about media, and Okinawan media in particular that some junior LDP lawmakers had brought forward at a study group meeting, Onaga confirmed after the meeting that, “We will continue to hold dialogue with serious talks from now on.”

Onaga also said that Suga had apologized on behalf of the party for the remarks by party lawmakers at their study group meeting, for which they have been punished.

The meeting over a dinner was held in Tokyo with Vice Governor Mitsuo Ageda also attending.

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